“The ball seems to be dropping,” Patterson said. “I’m capitalizing on my opportunities, taking shots, got a couple offensive rebounds for putbacks. My teammates are looking for me a lot more than prior to the season and my shots have been falling.”

His offensive surge is not quite that simple, though it has been indisputable. Patterson has scored at least 20 points in the Rockets’ past three games (and four of five games) after never reaching 20 in consecutive games before. He had a career-high 27 Tuesday against Toronto despite sitting out the bulk of the first quarter with foul trouble and most of the fourth as the Rockets closed out the rout.

This does not seem to be an aberration. In the past 10 games since a slow start while adjusting to the retooled offense and his role as a first-time starter, Patterson has made 55 percent of his shots overall, 42.9 percent from beyond the arc while averaging 17 points per game.

After attempting just five 3-pointers in his first two seasons, most to beat the shot clock and all missed, he has made 12 of 32 3-pointers this season, 6 of 12 last week.